Rob Ford's Toronto

[spider]

I think his court appearance (not to mention that of his brother) didn't exactly come cheap - all because of his worship's personal fault - i.e. utter incompetence, which clearly extended for years as a councillor. How much did that cost the city?

Nothing I guess since the City was not a party in the suit.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

spider:

Sorry, his absence from city business due to the court case translates into a cost to the city - and call me generous, I haven't even considered personal briefings and communications to his lawyer that probably occurred prior to the court appearance either. Plus, this isn't even his only court case in the pipeline.

AoD

 

[jje1000]

Anyways, any indications as to how Fordfest went off?

Of note:

- Roughly 5,000 people showed up, including Graphicmatt and Jonathan Goldsbie
- 150 boxes of burgers and 45 boxes of hot dogs" were delivered to 15 Weston Wood Road near Royal York and Eglinton for the celebration. A beer truck also delivered to the house.
- Guests were serenaded by classic rock band Gently Bent, a group that includes councillor Gary Crawford on drums.
- The mayor's brother, councillor Doug Ford, came under fire for using a robocalls to drum up higher attendance for the 12th annual event.

- much more crowded than previous years, my buddies and I got fast food instead of waiting in line two hours for a burger
- alcohol lineups were much shorter, thank goodness. Shitty beer and wine, but hey, it's free
- very diverse crowd, from badly dancing old white people to aunties to douchebags to kids running around with balloon animals
- aside from people getting cranky about the wait for food, it was super chill
- the gay contingent had a great time, got pics taken with the mayor, and they said some people were uncomfortable but no altercations
- my pinko commie contingent also had fun, and was graciously greeted by Rob Ford's mom
- obligaTory: Tim Hudak, poor guy

A+ would fest again.

Any idea how this will further affect city services? The city already has several outstanding vacancies to fill high up.

Ford looks to cut senior managers
By Don Peat, City Hall Bureau Chief
First posted: Sunday, September 09, 2012 12:50 PM EDT
Updated: Sunday, September 09, 2012 01:31 PM EDT


Toronto’s senior bureaucrats may not want to get too comfortable in their jobs this fall.

Mayor Rob Ford said he’s eyeing senior staff jobs while looking for ways to balance the 2013 budget.

Ford said during a Newstalk 1010 interview — broadcast live Friday from the mayor’s annual Ford Fest — that streamlining the ranks of senior staff will be his “number one issue†when looking for spending reductions this fall.

Despite Ford’s 2010 election rhetoric that he would “stop the gravy train†at City Hall, senior staff and middle managers have remained relatively unscathed by belt-tightening during the last two years.

“We settled with the unions; we haven’t even got into the senior staff levels yet,†Ford said. “There is a lot of waste in the senior staff levels there is no secret about that.â€

Ford said he has “sat down†with city manager Joe Pennachetti and stressed the need to find efficiencies.

“We’ve got a four-year deal with (the unions) which people said was impossible, now it is up to senior staff because that is where the big money is,†Ford said. “There is no doubt about it.

“There is a lot of money still to be found at City Hall and we’ve still got a lot of waste down there.â€

The 2013 budget battle is shaping up to reignite the fight over city programs and services.

Ford sent out a memo to city managers this year asking for the 2013 tax hike to be limited to 1.75% along with a tax freeze in 2014 and 2015.

Many councillors have already indicated they don’t have an appetite for any drastic cuts and want to consider a higher tax increase.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/09/ford-looks-to-cut-senior-managers


Anyways, a compelling article from John Lorinc about the CoTA and the MCIA.
http://spacingtoronto.ca/2012/09/07/lorinc-cue-the-lawyers-of-fordcourt/

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

No service cuts, guaranteed.

AoD

 

[adma]

spider:

Sorry, his absence from city business due to the court case translates into a cost to the city - and call me generous, I haven't even considered personal briefings and communications to his lawyer that probably occurred prior to the court appearance either. Plus, this isn't even his only court case in the pipeline.

AoD

Well, I think the argument you're tilting against is the following: whatever the misdeeds, the best way to cut costs is...

Whatever he does--leave him alone.

Indeed, the best way about it may be to abolish City Council altogether, and just have the Mayor and an appointed "cabinet". Very efficient; none of that money-wasting argument and opposition. And Hizzoner would probably be just as oblivious to the meaning of "dictatorship" as he is to the meaning of "conflict of interest"...

 

[Marko]

The difference here is that expensing thousands for a public speaking course can be argued as an investment in a politician's abilities to do his/her job more effectively. The same can't be argued for expensing thousands for your own, personal football charity.

Just to be clear - he never expensed the football charity money as you're implying. Those were private donations.

The transgressions were A) using his councillor letterheads to solicit those donations - which was forgiven in the vote and B) for taking part in the vote himself, even though it did not affect the outcome. It's the latter of which that is before the courts (voting on an issue he had a personal interest in = conflict).

Let's not needlessly make matters worse, huh?

 

[nfitz]

Jeez! It's not like he expensed thousands of dollars for French lessons or a public speaking course.

I don't believe that violated the then permissible spending rules - which I believe had been established under Lastman.

What Ford has done is clearly much worse, as it does break the rules. What's so bizarrre about it, is he was given a half-dozen chances at least to solve the problem. But instead he chose to break more rules, that lead to this. Had he simply followed instructions provided to him, this would have been other long before Ford became mayor.

It's a shame that Rob Ford is so ignorant that he can't comprehend the simplest of abstract concepts. But no surprise - we all knew he was of extremely low intellect during the election ... still not sure why anyone could've been so daft to vote for an imbecile like Rob Ford - and I use the word in it's correct meaning relating to very low intelligence.

Still, I don't think throwing him out of office is the solution ... it will nice to see him disgraced so utterly, but I don't think it will make council run any more smoothly until 2014 ... they finally seemed to have gotten something functional going. But at this point, it's hard to imagine that there's another option, given how he testified very clearly that he would didn't regret what he had done, didn't see it was wrong, and would do it again.

 

[malvern2]

Cant beat him at the polls so you try to find any ticky tack way to get him out huh?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Well, his mouth is his own.

AoD

 

[MetroMan]

Cant beat him at the polls so you try to find any ticky tack way to get him out huh?

Rob Ford put Rob Ford in this mess.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Cant beat him at the polls so you try to find any ticky tack way to get him out huh?

That's why Rob does his "transparency in government" by trying to hide his agenda, itinerary, and meetings from public eyes.

With almost everyone having available smartphones just waiting to record or photograph almost anything Rob does, it is just a matter was being in the right place at the right time.

 

[nfitz]

Cant beat him at the polls so you try to find any ticky tack way to get him out huh?

I don't think Rob Ford has a chance of winning the next election. I've also stated that I don't think throwing him out of office is the solution.

Clearly however, he's unfit to be mayor, for so many reasons. Hopefully a lesson for those who failed to do their due diligence when the voted for him.

 

[adma]

more than half want ford ousted if found guilty

 

[cdr108]

I don't think Rob Ford has a chance of winning the next election. I've also stated that I don't think throwing him out of office is the solution.

Clearly however, he's unfit to be mayor, for so many reasons. Hopefully a lesson for those who failed to do their due diligence when the voted for him.

there were many examples of RF's unbecoming conduct that showed he was unfit before the election, and yet he still got elected. those who voted for him were willfully ignoring all the signs and actions by Fraud.

do you think they will finally realize what was in their face all this time, and concede that they chose someone who wilfully and intentionally ignores the law in every turn (ie. drunk driving, drunken disorderly, speeding pass stopped TTC streetcars, reading while driving because he's a busy man, lieing to the courts, etc) ?!?

 

[MetroMan]

more than half want ford ousted if found guilty

That might actually have a small influence on Justice Hackland. I think that the only thing preventing this from being an open and shut case is the fact that the judge will have to oust a democratically elected Mayor by ruling him guilty. But if the people who elected him think he should go, that makes it a hell of a lot easier.